1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air blower apparatus, and more particularly to an air blower apparatus that takes up less space.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 shows the structure of an air blower apparatus 20 powered by a hydraulic motor 23.
As shown in FIG. 8, a duct 15 is provided in an engine chamber, not shown. A shroud 28 is connected to the duct 15. The body portion 21 of the air blower apparatus 20 is fixed to the inner walls of the shroud 28.
A rotary shaft 39 is provided on the body portion 21 of the air blower apparatus 20. The hydraulic motor 23 is mounted on the body portion 21 of the air blower apparatus 20 so as to connect with the rotary shaft 39. Meanwhile, a fan boss 41' is provided on the rotational center portion of a fan 29. The fan boss 41' is mounted on the rotary shaft 39 of the body portion 21 of the air blower apparatus 20. As a result, the fan 29 is contained within the shroud 28. The air blower apparatus 20 is constituted as above.
With the air blower apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 8, when the hydraulic motor 23 runs, the rotary shaft 29 rotates and thereby the fan 29 rotates. When the fan 29 rotates, devices, not shown, disposed within the engine chamber are blasted with air via the duct 15 and thus cooled.
The air blower apparatus 20 in FIG. 8 is provided within the engine chamber. Meanwhile, in addition to the air blower apparatus 20, various devices such as a radiator, engine, and hydraulic pump driven by the engine are also provided within the engine chamber. Consequently, space for the air lower apparatus 20 is limited within the engine chamber.
For this reason, there is a demand for an air blower apparatus that occupies as little space as possible. In other words, there is a demand for reducing the width of the air blower apparatus 20 in the direction of the rotary shaft 39.